Safety device for airships.



T. A. T. YBRMBSSl SAFETY DEVICE PQR MRSHIPS.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

X7 mws mi? QM/w@ T. A..T. YERNESS.- SAFETY DEVICE PoR AIRSHIPS.

' APPLICATION PILBDBEPT.7,1912. 1, l 00,277.

Patented June i6, i914.

3 SHBETS-SHEET 2.

.Palma T. A. 'L YERNBSS. M'ETY DEVICE FOR Al {SHWS AFPLIQATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1912.

tinrrnio ein 'l tree rfiijzrnntr operon.

THM'AS A. T. 'YER/NESS. OF CHICAGO, ILLXNOIS.

DEVOE AIRSHPS.

lo all /r/'mm [Z Hoogbouw/v1.'

Be it known that l, 'lHon'As A. T. Ynn- Ness, ai subject of the llinnil oi' Norway. residing in Chicago, in the county oi' Cook und State of lllinoie, United .States ol' America, have invented certain new und needful improvements in Safety Devices for Airshipn, of which the following is ri speelticetion.

This invention relates to aerial navigw tion :1nd eontenndntes the production of means adapted to be applied to :rirships to prevent them from telling too rapidly in ease of an urcident.7 or if the operator should lose oontrol of his machine.

Briefly stated, the invention contemplates e. wing or plane adapted to be at,- taehed to the stirehip, and means for ot all times holding thesaid plaine in o substantially horizontal position so that if the aeroplane should descend too rapidly, as by reuson of it having tipped. either endivise or Sirlevvise7 the sustaining plone will not ns :i oheel: on accountof its riding npon the nir to prevent the :iii-ship from plunging' toward the earth at. a dangerous speed. rlhe operator in many cases vvill thus be given time to right his machine and gein control thereof.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspectiver view of an :aeroplane equipped with menne embodying` the 'tentures of my invention, said view showing the aeroplane tipped sidewise. Fin', 2 in en end elevation of the machine showing` it tipped forwardly. Fig. n, l'i-ont elevzu tion with parte omittod.- lig. yis e. top plain view. and (3 :tre respectively n sectional plan view and n vertical section through the universalV su'iport 'for the Steibilizer plane. Y

l: have herein Shown my invention as' plied to a biplnne, lint.l it Should he understood that' the invention is equally npplicalole to Imonoplenes and other styles of eirships.

ln the drawings, 10 and l1 indie-ate the upper und lower Wings respectively ol ,a biplene, l2 being the vertical braces oonneetingthe laines. The forward Steeiing device is in icated' by the numeral 13 and the rear steering device by 14.-.

l5 are the supporting ivheels.

' have not herein elovv'n the operating rnechanisn of the aeroplane, inasinnoh :is I the present; invention does not relate thereto. l on the plane 28.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lmtented June lr6, ltlll.

Application filed September 7. 1915. Serial No. 719,181

llfhe safety' device is mounted upon me. upper eide of the machine und comprises :L suitulolo rigid supporting frame coneistinji in this instnnlce oi tour diagonally dispooedv l brace rods lo converging upwardly toward' n. point nhove the center ot the neroplune. The upper ends of these brace rods :1re fixed together und to 2L universal bearing ringl or socket 1T, the letter being' disposed hori- 65 zontzilly, v Referringl to Figs. ,53 and Cn the bearing ring` only he conveniently made in twohillveeI having` oppositely disposed ears 1,8 adapted to he .'lnmped together hy bolts 1.9. The 70 upper ends ol the brune rods lo, in the lneseut instant-e. nro litted nhont the heer-- ing ring; 1.7 und have their ondal lying` along4 side the euro 18, tho holte 19 passing through .Suid hrnoo ends.

20-z1re tie-holte securing pairs of the :idjmfent hrnce rods together. if desired stays 2l and 22 may he provided7 Suid stays run ning;` from tho homing ring li" tothe front und renr steering meansr 13 and lll, respecso tively. vertically disposed rod 23 has n hull il lixed thereon neml its upper end, smid hull tilting.; in the hearingA ring 17 so rhetthe rod may owing freely, '.lhe lower end ol the rod 3C-l mrries zi Weight 25 of 35 suioihle size.

2h nud 2T ure small planes Carried by the upper und lower ends of the rod 23, respet tively. und di.-fpo:-:od in nf direction from lront to rear olf th(x neroplnne. .al Stnhilizinnvv plone '254. whioh muy .he oi Substantially the senno length :nl the plnnee1 ol" the nirship is ri 'idly err-.ured with relution to the Swings." inn rod 23. ln the present instance this plone is shown an; secured to the lower edge ol tho upper pinne Qn. The outer ends of i the ntnhilizinn pinne. tl nre coiniected ivitfh tho endsy oil the neroplnne hy menne permitting, Yfree movement hetween the stnhilizing;l plane und the aeroplano. This menos. in the 10) prenent instance. comprises n onhle or rope 2f) running henenth the top plone 10 oi' the :vir-shin and through sheaves 3() mounted thereon7 the ends ol! seid Goble extending up Vwnrdly and heine' Suitnhly attached to the 1Q5 stal'iilizingllene lireliernbly this attaching meansy comprises n cable 3l han-ving its ends scoured :it 32 (Fig. 2) to the corners of the plane 28, and running boek nnd. orththrongrh :in eye 33 on the enti of the 110 cable 29 und n suitable ninnher of eyes 34 Such a connection es' this vand fitting in said socket, a weight fixed on provides free adjusting movementl of the and having its ends connected with the ends stabilizing plane with respect to the aeroof said stabilizing plane, and a Weight deplane when the latter tips (see Fig. 2). i pending from said universal connection and Gravity acting upon the Weight 25 mainr rigid with .said stabilizing plane, said tins the rod 23 at all times in a substanj weight operating to maintain said stabiliztially vertical position. Therefore the staing plane in a horizontal position.

bilizing plane 2S is maintained in a hori- 4. The combination with an airship, of a zontal position. 'In case the aeroplane j frame mounted 'on the upper side thereof, a

should tip either sidewise or `endvvise at an universal joint positioned in the upperpart abnormal angle and should start to plunge of said frame centrally of the airship, a

downwardly, the stabilizing plane 28 which vertically disposed weighted rod mounted Will always remain horizontal would be in said joint, and a horizontal stabilizing cushioned and buoyed upwardly by the air plane rigidly secured to said rod above said so as to check the fall of the aeroplane, thus frame and said joint. j

perhaps giving the operator a chance to 5. Thecombination with an aeroplane7 oic a horizontal sustaining plane positioned right his machine.

recognize that various changes in the above and 'a proxiinately coexteusive with construction of the device ymay be made the planes oi the aero lane, means provid- Without departin from the scope of the ing a universal connection between the aeroin'vention and I t erefore do not limit my-v self to the exemplary embodiment herein nig plane, and a Weighted rod rigid with shown. said sustaining plane and arranged to au- I claim as my invent-ion.' to'inatically maintain said plane at all times l. A stabilizing device for airships comin an approximately horizontal position. prising a .suitable support,' a bearing socket 6. The combination with an aeroplane, of a carried thereby, a' vertical rod extending frame mounted on the upper side thereof and through said socket, a ball fixed on said .rod tairie'ring upwardly to a central point above said rod below said socket, and a horizontal j said Jtrarne at said central point, a vertically stabilizing. plane carried by said rod. disposed yrod extending through said '-uni` 2. The combination With an aeroplane, of j versal joint and having a weight at its lower a sustaining plane universally mounted at I end` a horizontal stabilizing plane rigidly its inidportion on the upper side of the l mounted on said rod above said joint, and aeroplane for relative tilting movement. l

means operable by gravity for automatically bilizing plane and the aeroplane,v said c0nmaintaining said sustainin plane in operaneclion permitting free movement lbetween tive position, and a flexib e connection besaid parts, whereby said Weight and rod tween the ends of said sustaining plane and j wi'llvalitoinatica-lly maintain said stabilizing ythe aeroplane. l plane in an approximately horizontal' posi- 3. The combination wit-h an aeroplane, o tion.

in the presence oft o'witnesses..

plane and the central point of'said sustainthe aeroplane, a universal joint mounted in a. connection between the ends of said, stal f a frame mounted on the upper @side thereof, l In testimony `whereof I atlx my signature above said frame, a universal connection THQMAS- A. 'E YERNESS: between the central point of said stabilizing 5 Witnesses: 4

y vplane*andgasaid frame, sheaiges-on' the aeroi J. j. Dnvicn,

plane, a cable running around said sheaves C. AUL Palmen. 

